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To remove a third-party extension from desktop VLC, quit VLC and move its .lua or .luac file out of the VLC lua/extensions folder, then restart the player. On Windows, start with %APPDATA%vlcluaextensions. VLC’s documentation explains how to find and install extensions but does not document a universal uninstall button, so the file-based method is the dependable approach.
Remove a VLC extension safely
- Quit VLC completely. If it remains open in the background, close the process too: check Task Manager for
vlc.exeon Windows, use Force Quit on macOS if needed, or close the process through your Linux desktop. - Open the user extensions folder for your operating system, using the paths below.
- Find the extension file and move only that
.luaor.luacfile to a temporary backup folder. Moving it is reversible and avoids removing unrelated VLC scripts. - Start VLC again and check the menu where the extension appeared. Its entry may be under View, Tools, or an Extensions area, depending on the extension and VLC version.
VLC’s extension instructions describe the Plugins and extensions area for viewing, discovering, and installing add-ons; they do not establish a removal control available in every release.
Where to find the extension files
These are standard desktop paths. Portable installations and package formats such as Flatpak or Snap may store VLC data elsewhere, so a missing folder does not prove that no extension is installed. VLC’s Lua script documentation distinguishes user and system script locations; the VLC FAQ also notes that paths vary by operating system and version.
Windows
- Press Win + R.
- Enter
%APPDATA%vlcluaextensionsand press Enter. This usually opens a path underC:UsersYourNameAppDataRoamingvlcluaextensions. - Move the suspected extension file out of the folder, then restart VLC.
If the extension remains, check for a second copy under C:Program FilesVideoLANVLCluaextensions, or under C:Program Files (x86)VideoLANVLCluaextensions for some 32-bit installations. Modifying a file under Program Files may require administrator permission. The official VLC extension guide lists the per-user path and notes that add-ons can also be copied to the program-files directory.
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Optional PowerShell commands to list and move a user extension:
Get-ChildItem "$env:APPDATAvlcluaextensions"
Move-Item "$env:APPDATAvlcluaextensionsextension-name.lua" "$env:USERPROFILEDesktop"Replace extension-name.lua with the actual filename; do not run the move command unchanged if that file is not present.
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macOS
- Quit VLC with VLC → Quit VLC or Command-Q.
- In Finder, choose Go → Go to Folder and enter
~/Library/Application Support/org.videolan.vlc/lua/extensions. - Move the suspected file to a backup location and reopen VLC.
If it is not in the user folder, inspect the app bundle: Control-click VLC.app, choose Show Package Contents, then navigate to Contents → MacOS → share → lua → extensions. The usual bundle path is /Applications/VLC.app/Contents/MacOS/share/lua/extensions. Changing files inside the app bundle may require authentication and can be undone by a VLC update. The VLC Lua documentation describes the application’s Lua tree and user locations.
Linux
Start with the user directory ~/.local/share/vlc/lua/extensions. List its contents with:
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ls -la ~/.local/share/vlc/lua/extensionsMove a known extension file to the Desktop with:
mv ~/.local/share/vlc/lua/extensions/extension-name.lua ~/Desktop/System-wide locations depend on the distribution and package; common examples include /usr/lib/vlc/lua/extensions, /usr/lib64/vlc/lua/extensions, and /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/vlc/lua/extensions. To search common system library trees:
find /usr/lib /usr/lib64 -path '*/vlc/lua/extensions/*' ( -name '*.lua' -o -name '*.luac' ) 2>/dev/nullUse administrative privileges only if the matching file is system-wide and you have confirmed it is the extension to remove. For a user-installed extension, do not use sudo.
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How to identify the right file
- Look for a filename matching the extension’s name or a file added around the time it appeared.
- If it is a
.luafile, open it in a text editor and look for a recognizable title or menu label. - Check for both
name.luaandname.luac; a compiled copy can be a separate file. - Move one candidate at a time and restart VLC to confirm which file controls the entry.
Do not delete the entire extensions folder or the broader lua tree as a first step. VLC uses separate Lua directories for playlists, metadata, interfaces, and service discovery, and its script documentation distinguishes those types. Skins use .vlt files and are not removed this way. Built-in modules and codecs are different from third-party Lua extensions; removing an extension file does not uninstall VLC or its normal codecs.
If the extension still appears
- Check for a duplicate. Search both the user folder and the VLC installation folder for matching
.luaand.luacfiles, move the duplicate copy or copies, and restart again. - Make sure VLC fully quit. A still-running process may have loaded the script already.
- Confirm it is an extension. A script in
lua/playlist,lua/meta,lua/intf, orlua/sdserves another purpose. A menu item may also be a built-in VLC feature rather than an add-on. - Check the installation type. Portable, Flatpak, Snap, and distribution-packaged VLC builds may use different data directories from the standard paths above. The VLC Lua directory reference lists platform locations, but packaging can change them.
Resetting preferences should not be the first fix for a script that still loads: first locate duplicate files and confirm the right VLC installation. Avoid deleting VLC’s entire configuration directory as a shortcut.
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If VLC fails to start after installing an extension
Quit VLC, then move recently added files out of the relevant lua/extensions folder. Start VLC again; if it opens, restore files one at a time, restarting between attempts, to identify the problematic extension. Keep the files in a temporary backup until you know VLC works without them.
Remove all user-installed extensions
If the goal is to disable every manually installed extension for your account, quit VLC and move the contents of the user lua/extensions folder to a backup folder, then restart VLC. Do not remove the whole VLC installation or indiscriminately empty system Lua directories, which may contain scripts for other VLC functions.
When you cannot move or delete the file
- Quit VLC and confirm no VLC process remains.
- Move rather than permanently delete the file, if possible.
- For a file under Windows Program Files, use an administrator account only after identifying the correct file.
- On macOS, authenticate if changing a file inside the app bundle.
- On Linux, use
sudo mvonly for a confirmed system-wide extension. Package-managed files may be restored by package updates, so prefer the package’s own management method where applicable.
Desktop instructions do not apply to VLC mobile
These file paths and steps are for desktop VLC on Windows, macOS, and Linux. VLC’s add-ons overview says most extensions are for desktop VLC and mobile apps have relatively few add-ons; Android and iOS do not use these desktop folder paths as a universal removal method.
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